From the field in East Sumba. Medical care, clean water, prevention and community health where access remains difficult.
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Water, Energy & Infrastructure
Water Connections
Safe water systems planned, built and maintained with rural communities where no public network exists.
- 5,300-litre ferrocement tanks
- 115 m³ reservoir built at Laindatang
- Rainwater, gravity and solar-pumped systems
Water must reach the home before disease does
In rural East Sumba, water may be several kilometres away, seasonal or visibly unsafe. A reservoir, protected source and working pipe change more than convenience. They change hydration, hygiene, food preparation and the daily exposure of children to preventable infection.
The programme
Water infrastructure built around health
Without a public network, every litre depends on distance, rainfall, storage and the condition of the source. Those constraints become health risks long before a patient reaches a clinic.
Water Connections designs practical systems for the terrain and the people who will use them. Depending on the site, this may mean rooftop rainwater harvesting, a ferrocement tank, a reinforced reservoir, a deep well, a solar pump, gravity-fed piping or a protected distribution point.
The work is carried out with village leaders, families and local builders. Construction is only the beginning. Gutters, lids, filters, pipes, overflow areas and water quality must remain inspectable, repairable and understood by the community.
A compact rainwater system adapted to homes, small groups of families and rural schools.
Large reinforced storage designed for more than 200 people and a local school.
A recent Hudumburung connection carries stored water directly to two homes and around fifteen people.
A solar-powered pump lifts groundwater to a 10,000-litre elevated storage system.
From source to household
How a water system becomes reliable
The visible tank is only one part of the system. Reliability begins with understanding the source and continues through design, construction, protection, distribution and maintenance.
Assess
The team studies the source, rainfall, terrain, household demand, access and the risks around the proposed site.
Design
Storage volume, foundations, catchment area, pumping or gravity and distribution are adapted to local conditions.
Build together
Local builders and families take part so the structure, materials and repair needs are understood close to home.
Protect and connect
Roofs, gutters, filters, sealed storage, overflow and pipes are installed as one continuous water pathway.
Inspect and maintain
Leaks, cracks, contamination risks and damaged components are identified, corrected and followed over time.
Water safety is continuous
A full tank is not automatically a safe tank
Safe access depends on the complete pathway from catchment or source to storage, pipe and household container. A weakness at any point can reintroduce contamination or interrupt supply.
What the system must protect
- A source or roof catchment kept away from avoidable contamination
- Gutters and first-flow components aligned and clear of debris
- A sealed tank with a protected lid and controlled access
- Filtration appropriate to the source and intended use
- Clean pipes, taps and household collection containers
- Drainage and overflow that do not create stagnant water
When corrective action is needed
- Cracks, leaks, unstable foundations or damaged tank walls
- Rust, open inspection holes or a lid that no longer seals
- Broken gutters, blocked filters or unburied damaged pipes
- Visible contamination, unusual colour, odour or persistent turbidity
- Standing overflow water that increases mosquito or hygiene risks
- Concerning test results or a cluster of diarrhoeal illness after use
A reservoir is useful only when its catchment, filtration, structure, overflow and distribution remain safe and repairable.
See how a new reservoir brings water to schoolchildren in East Sumba, and why the daily journey to collect water remains a health concern for families.
The system behind every tap
Engineering that can be maintained locally
A tank alone is not water access. Each project combines source assessment, structural choices, protected storage, distribution and a maintenance plan. The aim is not technical complexity. It is a system that fits the terrain, can be inspected and can keep working after the construction team leaves.
Site assessment
Rainfall, groundwater, access, soil, terrain and household demand guide the design before materials arrive.
Reinforced storage
Ferrocement tanks and larger reinforced reservoirs are sized and built for the community and site conditions.
Protected distribution
Filters, pumps, gravity-fed HDPE pipe, taps, overflow and drainage move water without losing control of safety.
Water monitoring
Field checks and the Rumah Kambera laboratory support testing for microbial, physical and chemical indicators.
What changes in practice
Safe water changes the conditions in which illness begins
Less time collecting water
A household connection can return hours of walking, waiting and transport to families, especially women and children.
Safer daily hygiene
Water close to home makes handwashing, wound cleaning, food preparation and household cleaning more consistent.
Water where children learn
School storage supports drinking, toilets, cleaning and basic infection prevention throughout the day.
Stronger dry-season continuity
Storage, protected sources and planned distribution reduce dependence on a single distant or seasonal collection point.
Final reportLaindatang 115 m³ reservoirRead the technical and field report for a large rainwater system serving more than 200 people and a school.
Project areaLaindatang & HambaritaExplore the linked reservoirs, filtration, construction and village water systems developed across these communities.
Child healthUnsafe water and childhood diarrhoeaUnderstand how contaminated water, dehydration and malnutrition reinforce one another in rural families.
Live field recordField Notes from Eastern IndonesiaFollow dated updates on construction, repairs, water access, health and the realities encountered by field teams.
Field guide & glossaryWater and sanitation, explainedExplore practical terms and field guides related to water safety, storage, hygiene and public health.
Public health referenceDrinking-water and healthRead the international evidence connecting safe water, sanitation, infection prevention and health.
Water and sanitation referenceWater, sanitation and hygieneExplore the wider framework linking safe water access, hygiene, childhood health and dignity.
Live from the field
Water Field Notes, as the work happens
Two recent updates from water construction, distribution or monitoring. These notes refresh when a new Water Connections Field Note is published.
Directly from the field
Latest Water Connections reports
These reports document construction, water quality, household access, maintenance, failures, corrective work and the health conditions each system is built to change.
Handwashing at Rumah Kambera Starts with Careful Planning
Rotary Australia, the Rotary Club of Mandurah Districts and John Kevan support planned handwashing facilities at the new Rumah Kambera. Accessible basins and hygiene education will serve children and adults. Installation is planned for 2027, with locations, plumbing and costs still to define.
Three Children on a Kerbau and the Daily Journey for Water in East Sumba
Three children ride a kerbau as their mother leads it to collect water in East Sumba. Alex reflects on the limited quantities some families can obtain, bathing without running water, and the place of reliable water access in health, hygiene, menstrual dignity and everyday childhood.
Global Handwashing Day 2026 and the Water, Soap and Practice That Protect Health
For Global Handwashing Day on 15 October, Fair Future Foundation and Kawan Baik Indonesia examine how water, soap and practical education support infection prevention in East Sumba. Working facilities and repeatable habits are essential alongside medical care, wherever people live.
Eight Children, a New Reservoir and Water for Schoolchildren in East Sumba
Eight children stand beside a newly finished reservoir in East Sumba. Their school previously had neither water nor toilets and still has no electricity. Water Connections links access to water with practical health and nutrition education. Dozens more reservoirs are still needed.
Inside a Ferrocement Reservoir Built for Safe Rainwater
Fair Future Foundation and Kawan Baik Indonesia team members apply waterproofing inside a 5,300-litre ferrocement reservoir in East Sumba. Local villagers work beside them and learn a practical technique that brings filtered rainwater closer to three rural households.
Clean water at home | Gravity-fed Water Connections
A new 5,300-litre reservoir and 200 metres of gravity-fed pipe now bring water directly to two families. For around fifteen people, a household tap changes hydration, food preparation, hygiene and exposure to waterborne disease, while reducing the daily burden of collecting water away from home.
Unsafe Water Childhood Diarrhea Indonesia | Health Crisis
Unsafe water remains a major driver of childhood diarrheal diseases in rural Indonesia. Contaminated rivers, poor sanitation, and plastic pollution expose children to infection, dehydration, and malnutrition. Improving access to clean water and hygiene education is essential to protect child health.
Water Connections Reservoir Funding | Clean Water Sumba
Clean water remains one of the most urgent public health challenges in East Sumba. Through the Water Connections program, Fair Future Foundation and Kawan Baik Indonesia aim to build 12 new rainwater reservoirs, bringing safe filtered water to rural families and improving health for hundreds of people.
Laindatang Water Reservoir Report | 114.5 m³
Laindatang Water Reservoir Report documents the construction of a 114 m³ reinforced concrete rainwater system in East Sumba. Built to secure dry season water for more than 200 people and a local school, the reservoir is now full and operational, confirming structural reliability and community management.
Health Without Infrastructure Fiction | Rural Care
Health Without Infrastructure Fiction describes a simple reality in ultra-rural East Indonesia. When roads, water, and electricity are absent, diagnosis is delayed and preventable disease becomes lethal. Infrastructure is not secondary to healthcare. It is healthcare.
Water Reservoir Graduation Scale Protecting Community Health
Inside the Laindatang reservoir, a graduation scale measures every ten-thousand litres of stored water. This precise tool allows safe monitoring, controlled use, and long-term protection of clean water. In ultra-rural villages, measuring water accurately is not technical detail. It is prevention and survival.
Laindatang Water Filtration System | Preventive Health
Before water reaches the tank in Laindatang, it is filtered by hand. Custom-built filtration modules remove debris, organic matter, and insects, reducing contamination risks. This system turns rainwater harvesting into preventive medicine for families living far from any medical infrastructure.
Accountability
Water systems must remain measurable, repairable and transparent
We document volumes, construction, materials, beneficiaries, site inspections, faults, corrective work and how funds are used. A completed structure is not the end of responsibility. Its condition and usefulness must continue to be checked.
